Aftermath
by smile-clarenet
Summary: Cars FanFic challenge response. How is The King doing with his recovery after Chick wrecked him? Told from Doc's point of view as he reads the newspaper.


I wrote this for a Cars Fanfic challenge (see BorntothePurple if you want to join us). The challenge was to write a scene about the reaction to the end of the race after Lightning pushes The King over the finish line, and it's a 500 to 2000 words one-shot. I should also add that I wrote this Humanised, though it's not exactly obvious.

**Thanks to the following:**

BorntothePurple - nice review, thank you.

Maji - another great review, thank you.

NikChik-11 - great review, and uh, thanks for pointing out that mistake. I've corrected it now.

LightningAndDoc - after reading through this story again, I've decided I don't hate it quite so much now. Actually, I quite like it. Doc with his feet on the table is a pretty funny image.

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**Aftermath**

Doc flicked the radio on as he headed for the kettle. The chimes of the news reached his ears as he filled the small jug and returned it to the base. He was taking advantage of the break after the rush of customers he'd had to cope with. Lightning setting up his racing headquarters in the town had really made a difference, even though it had only been a few days since he'd made the announcement. The newsreader went through several items before turning to the sports.

"_The King is recovering well from his high speed crash last week. Doctors at the hospital say he is lucky not to have many more injuries as a result of the crash. Meanwhile racing officials have warned Chick Hicks that any more behaviour like that displayed in the last season of racing will result in his suspension_."

Doc filled a mug and returned to his office. A newspaper sat on the desktop among his various papers. He shoved the papers into a rough pile and dropped them on top of the filing cabinet behind the desk. He put the mug on the table and his feet next to it. As he turned to the sports pages the headline jumped out at him.

_**Retiring Racer in Crash**_

'_The King' got an unfortunate end to his racing last week when he was involved in a high-sped crash during his final race in LA. Mr Weathers will be greatly missed from racing among the fans of the sport. He was taken to hospital from the track after giving reporters a brief interview. Both Mr Tex, the boss of Dinoco, and Mr Weathers' wife have been seen going into the hospital to visit The King._

_Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash. Reports say that Chick Hicks rammed The King from behind in a bid to get ahead of him. Fans are praising Mr McQueen's reaction to the crash, though he has not been seen near the hospital where The King is recovering from his injuries._

Doc flicked the page over and found another article about the racer.

_**Dinoco's Star Racer Remembered**_

_Tributes to the legend have been ringing out across America and the racing world as The King retired from the track._

_Strip Weathers started racing in his early 20s after being spotted racing with a few friends near his home in Utah. Mr Tex took the young racer under his wing and spent many months training him before he appeared on the track. It quickly became clear that this was a talented racer. When Chick Hicks appeared on the scene, Weathers, now known as The King, took it all in his stride. He continued to win races and championships despite Hicks' dirty tricks on the track to get ahead of the field._

_He was in his late 30s when he met his wife. He revealed that they met at a roadside café where she was a waitress. She knew of his fame on the track, and of his gentle reputation, and perhaps it was this that stopped her from talking to him that time, though the next time they met she told us that she made sure to speak to him. Her words could hardly have been less romantic. Upon handing him a drink and a sandwich she had said 'I hope you enjoy your meal'. Nobody is really sure how they ended up together, but barely a year after meeting they were married._

_The King stopped racing for a time, and it was upon her encouragement that he returned, Mr Tex as willing as ever to have him on the Dinoco team. During a recent interview he was asked what made him start racing in the first place, he replied 'I'd heard about the Hudson Hornet, and got a chance to see him racing once. I knew straight away that it was what I wanted to do. Just seeing him getting to the head of the pack and leading to the end was enough.' Many have found The King inspirational too; one __Dale Earnhardt__ Junior told us that he longed to meet The King, and racing seemed like the only way to do it at the time._

_There were many supporters at his final race in Los Angeles, all hoping for a final win from the Dinoco star. The race proved far from uneventful, as Hicks was up to his usual tricks, and until the newly created Radiator Springs team arrived, something seemed to be bothering rookie sensation Lightning McQueen. The King appeared the only normal thing of the whole race as he ignored all distractions and gave his usual spectacular performance. It was on the final lap that events turned for the veteran. Lightning McQueen was in the lead, approaching the finish line, so most of the attention was on him. Mr Tex reported hearing Chick saying 'I'm not coming in behind you again old man' right before the accident. Nobody was sure how it happened, but Mr Weathers was launched into the air where he spun a few times before landing again. The highlight of this race has to be what happened next. McQueen stopped inches from the line, allowing Chick Hicks to pass and take first place. He then went back to where The King lay on the ground and pushed him over the line, taking last place and quoting 'I think The King should finish his last race'. Track medics rushed to Mr Weather's side and took him off to the hospital, ignoring protests from the press gathered nearby. Doctors revealed there were no life threatening injuries, and that Mr Weathers should be back on his feet in no time so long as no complications arise. Racing fans around have been praising both The King and McQueen in the final race of the season, while Chick has lost much of his popularity. McQueen told us in a recent interview that a racing museum was being set up in Radiator Springs, the location of his new racing headquarters, with dedications to many racers, including The King._

_I think racing fans all around will never forget the popular Dinoco racer, who has followed in the Hudson Hornets footsteps so closely, though not quite equalling the 'most wins in a season' record. Strip Weathers will be known for a long time yet as The King._

Doc put the paper to one side. He knew the rookie had been to see The King in his hospital room, though he had always been able to sneak into an entrance where the press were not gathered, claiming that he didn't want that sort of attention. The whole town had supported the idea of a racing museum, and though it contained information on only a handful of racers, it was set to get bigger over time. From things the injured racer had said, the papers were mostly right, though it seemed the tribute article had gotten the closest. The radio report seemed the farthest from the truth, but then maybe they wanted it to sound worse than it was for some reason. Doc had always tried to distance himself from being in the news, afraid they would bend things a little too much and people would interpret it wrongly. He glanced at the photographs of the Dinoco racer. They ranged from his very first days as a racer to Lightning pushing him over the finish line at his final race. Doc, Lightning and Strip all knew that Chick had caused the crash, and all three hoped that he would get his comeuppance for it. It was unlikely that the green car would be racing again in the next season.

_Hostile Takeover Bank, they sure got that right._ Doc chuckled, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back so the chair was on two legs.

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**Author's Note: Is now the right time to say I don't like this fic? It took me a few days to write it, and I totally hate it. Even so, I did it for a challenge, so I felt I should post it, despite how much I don't like it. Argh, enough already. Reviews are appreciated.**

**Update: After reading through this story again, I've decided I don't hate it so much. I just wish I could remember where I got the stuff for the tribute article! I think I made most of it up, but I'm not 100% sure on that.**


End file.
